Apple's iPad Mini sells out, Amazon tries to do the same with its Kindle HD

Shane McGlaun, 30th October 2012

It seems like tablet makers are now learning the same thing computer makers were forced to understand about Apple. When your brand has such a strong following, you can charge more and, yes, people will gladly pay. Even as Amazon has been running ads on its website slamming the price of the new iPad mini, Apple has sold its entire stock of its iPad mini tablet.

Personally, I think anyone who is shopping in the current tablet market - based on specifications alone - would agree that at least on paper the Kindle Fire HD with a seven-inch screen looks to be a better deal than the iPad mini at $199 versus $329.

Think about it - the Kindle Fire HD offers 216 ppi compared to the iPad mini 's 163 ppi. Plus, the Amazon tablet also supports HD movies whereas the iPad mini doesn't, along with stereo sound, while the iPad Mini boasts a mono speaker. Amazon's ad is titled "Much More for Much Less."

We were left to guess exactly how many iPad Mini tablets Apple was able to sell because the company hasn't yet confirmed sales figures. Nevertheless, we do know that Amazon's Kindle Fire HD had its biggest day of sales ever last Wednesday - the day after Apple announced unveiled iPad mini. Essentially, sales of the Fire HD were roughly 3 times what they had been the previous week.

Presumably, the rush in sales for the Fire HD had to do with people who were waiting to see what the iPad mini offered and then chose by the Fire HD. Currently, iPad mini listings show versions of the tablet with 16-64 GB of storage will ship in two weeks.